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A UN official in South Sudan has lamented the fall in price for crude oil in the global market, saying it affects the performance of key sectors in the country.

A UN official in South Sudan has lamented the fall in price for crude oil in the global market, saying it affects the performance of key sectors in the country.

The prices of crude oil have gone down 50 per cent to the lowest levels in over 5 years. The fall in prices to below 50 US dollars a barrel is a result of low demand in many countries, coupled with increased production in the United States.

UN Humanitarian Coordinator Toby Lanzer told the media that the fall has affected key government ministries, government operation as well as the national economy.

“Global oil prices are down by 50 per cent… I mean income for the government has collapsed. The ability of the government’s key ministries for my line of work – at least education, health care and infrastructure – they are not really up and running in the way that we at all hope that they would be. So there is awful a lot that needs to be done,” he said.

Oil production, which is the country’s main source of revenue brought in over 3 billion US dollars in 2014. The current fall of prices has affected South Sudan seriously.

Late last year, the US Embassy in South Sudan warned that the sharp decline in oil prices was threatening to undermine the fragile economies of several African countries dependent on oil for their sustained growth, including South Sudan.

In a related development, the presidential press secretary Ateny Wek Ateny reacted to questions raised by the sacking of the former finance minister, saying the former finance minister Mr. Tisa Sabuni has been re-assigned as economic advisor in the office of the President.

“Appointments are the prerogative of the president, which is enshrined in the constitution. When the president decides to appoint anybody, there is no reason given for the appointment of that person. Likewise, if a person is removed he can also be removed without giving any reason,” he said.

He said cabinet appointments are the prerogative of the president and the process is normal.

President Salva Kiir on Monday issued a decree relieving Mr. Sabuni of his job, and appointed Mr. David Deng Athorbei as the minister for Finance, Commerce and Economic Planning.

The new minister comes into the cabinet for the second time, having served in the cabinet earlier.